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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27643100">Best In Show</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/molstrom/pseuds/molstrom'>molstrom</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Lowriders, Veronica Mars - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:34:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,242</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27643100</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/molstrom/pseuds/molstrom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Veronica and Eli move to LA after Logan's death. Crossover with Lowriders. My obsession with characters played by Theo Rossi continues...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Veronica Mars/Francisco "Ghost" Alvarez</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Best In Show</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I am leaning against the back wall of a horrible club, for lack of a better word, silently plotting my soon-to-be-ex-best friend’s death for dragging me to this over-hyped mosh pit full of skater idiots when I glance towards the door. A group of guys walks in, and while one is a total spaz and clearly fits right in here, the others seem…different. As people move out of the way, I see one of them is wearing a black wife beater and is covered in tattoos. His body is…amazing, and aside from looking slightly cold and scary, his face is gorgeous. I instantly want him, so I lick my lips and finish my drink, setting the empty down against the wall before adjusting my clothes and walking towards him.</p><p>———————</p><p>As I’m standing in the doorway wondering why the hell I’m even here, this tiny blonde chick wearing an extremely short, tight dress walks up, full of confidence, and grabs my hand, leading me to the bathroom. When we walk inside, she locks the door behind us and undoes my belt and pants before pushing them down my legs. She doesn’t seem to want to talk, so I just watch her in amusement. She wraps her hand around my cock and jerks me a couple of times before putting a condom on me. She rucks up her dress and pulls her panties off before saying:<br/>
“You gonna fuck me or what?”</p><p>———————</p><p>He growls and picks me up, sliding into me as he slams me into the wall. He fucks me hard and fast, slamming me into the wall with each thrust, rubbing and pinching my clit as he does. He growls in my ear:<br/>
“Cum. Now.”<br/>
As much as I’d like to sass him for thinking he can give me a fucking order, I can’t seem to form words as my orgasm rips through me. He follows me over the edge, twitching inside of me before putting me down. I put my panties back on and fix my dress and hair as he gets rid of the condom and pulls his pants back up. </p><p>He is doing up his pants when I open the door to leave. I hear him say:<br/>
“My name’s Francisco…People call me Ghost.”<br/>
I shake my head and say:<br/>
“I don’t remember asking.”</p><p>I walk away and find my best friend, grabbing his hand and dragging him out of this hellhole.</p><p>———————</p><p>The next morning I’m talking to Pops about Green Poison when the cop walks up and asks Pops if he wants to press charges. As he tells me that he knows my parole officer, I see a woman standing back towards the garage, about as far from me as she can get without looking suspicious. Immediately I feel blood flow to my cock, because while she is wearing more work-appropriate clothes — dark jeans, black t-shirt, leather jacket, biker boots — and her long blonde hair is in what my mom used to call a French braid, she is definitely the girl from last night. </p><p>I finish talking to Pops, keeping her in my line of sight the whole time. She looks bored, alternating between being on her phone and looking at her nails, almost as if she’s refusing to meet my eye. As I’m walking away, I hear her say:<br/>
“Hey, Joe, if Mr. Alvarez isn’t pressing charges, you think we could actually go for that breakfast you promised me?”<br/>
The cop responds:<br/>
“Yes, oh demanding one.”</p><p>————————</p><p>The next day Eli — the not-dead-yet-best friend — drags me down to Crenshaw Boulevard to see some lowriders. It’s weird to me that he’s so into this since growing up he was obsessed with motorcycles, but I’m willing to indulge him, so here I am. We walk into the lot with all the cars and people with his arm draped over my shoulders.<br/>
“So, Eli. Why the fascination with these cars?”<br/>
“It’s my heritage, V.”<br/>
“Don’t give me that shit, vato. You were never interested in them growing up.”<br/>
“Nah…Jade got me into them. They’re pretty cool, V. Give it a chance.”</p><p>Ten minutes later we’ve seen almost all of the cars, and I spot the guy from the club — Ghost — near one of the cars we haven’t looked at yet.<br/>
“We’ve seen everything, right?”<br/>
“No, V. There’s a new club over there. I want to take a look at their ride.”<br/>
“Do we have to, Eli?”<br/>
“V…what’s wrong?”<br/>
“You know the guy from the club the other night?”<br/>
“The one you dragged into the bathroom and fucked without introducing yourself?”<br/>
“Yes. And your judgment is not required.”<br/>
“What about him?”<br/>
“He’s over there. At the other car. Please, Eli…Let’s just go.”<br/>
“Hell no. Is that him with the tight black t-shirt?”<br/>
“Yeah. It is. I hate you.”</p><p>He pulls me closer to himself and kisses me.<br/>
“You love me. Let’s go look at the car, sweetheart.”</p><p>—————————</p><p>I’m standing next to the car, talking to the guys when I see her. Her blonde hair is up in this complicated mass of tiny braids and she’s wearing jeans and a red halter top. The only thing I don’t find appealing about her appearance is the guy with his arm around her like she’s his fucking possession. As they approach the car, the guy leads her as close to where I’m standing as possible, and she looks everywhere but at me. The guy says:<br/>
“Great car. No mural yet?”<br/>
“Mural’s my little brother’s department. Guess inspiration hasn’t struck yet. You know cars?”<br/>
“I’m a mechanic. Worked at my uncle’s chop shop as a teenager, owned my own legitimate shop for a while.”</p><p>She mutters, probably only loud enough for me and the guy to hear:<br/>
“Yeah, until you decided you liked being a criminal and took over Angel’s chop shop and drove your wife and daughter away.”<br/>
He shakes his head and says:<br/>
“Let it go, V. I thought we had stopped fighting about that.”<br/>
“I’m not fighting, Eli. Just stating facts is all.”</p><p>I lift my chin at him and say:<br/>
“You still own that chop shop?”<br/>
“No. Decided to move here to look after trouble over here after she fled town.”</p><p>She quietly says:<br/>
“I didn’t ask you to do that. I couldn’t be there anymore…My husband died…on our wedding day. Remember?”<br/>
“I’m sorry, V…I didn’t mean…”<br/>
“All good, vato. Enjoy looking at the cars, I’m gonna go home. No, I don’t need you to come with me. Yes, I have my taser. Yes, I’m sure.”<br/>
“You know me so well. Practically don’t even need me for the other half of the conversation anymore.”<br/>
“We’ve been friends since we were seventeen. If I didn’t know you this well, I’d have some questions.”<br/>
She kisses his cheek and walks away. I stare after her until he says:<br/>
“You can’t dissolve her clothes with your stare you know.”<br/>
“I don’t even know her name. I tried to introduce myself, but she said ‘I don’t remember asking’. Is she always like that?”<br/>
“No. In fact, she usually asks way too many questions. It’s weird to me that she doesn’t seem to want to know anything about you.”</p><p>I hold my hand out to him. As he takes it to shake, I say:<br/>
“Ghost.”<br/>
“Eli.”<br/>
I point at the car and say:<br/>
“You interested in helping out?”<br/>
“You asking because you need a mechanic or because you’re hoping to fuck my best friend again?”<br/>
“Both.”<br/>
“Yeah. I could help out.”<br/>
“Great.”<br/>
I write our address on a scrap of paper and hand it to him.<br/>
“Come by tomorrow morning.”</p><p>————————</p><p>The next morning Eli drags me out of bed and says:<br/>
“Get ready. We’re going out.”<br/>
“Why do you hate me?”<br/>
“I don’t hate you. One of the clubs offered me some work. Thought you should come along.”<br/>
“Why?”<br/>
“Because if you don’t, you’re just going to sleep all day. Come on, Veronica.”<br/>
“Fine. We taking the bike, or did you buy a lowrider?”<br/>
“We’re taking the bike.”</p><p>I shower and dress before we leave the house. When we get where we’re going and he parks the bike, I say:<br/>
“This is a house, not a garage, Eli. What kind of shitty-ass club did you agree to work with?”<br/>
“You’ll see. Come on.”</p><p>We’re walking towards a gate that two teenagers — a guy and a girl — just walked through when I hear Ghost’s voice say:<br/>
“Plans don’t mean pito when there’s pussy involved.”<br/>
I whisper to Eli:<br/>
“I fucking hate you.”<br/>
There’s some quiet discussion on the other side of the gate and then the girl walks out alone, in tears. I walk up to her and touch her arm before saying:<br/>
“Are you okay, sweetheart?”<br/>
She shakes her head and says:<br/>
“I hate him. So much. He’s such an ass. He’s been gone for eight years, and now that he’s back he’s trying to change Danny and Chuy into him.”<br/>
“Ghost?”<br/>
“Yes.”<br/>
I wipe the tears off of her face and say:<br/>
“What’s your name, sweetheart?”<br/>
“Claudia.”<br/>
“Well, Claudia, I’m Veronica. You know what you need to do?”<br/>
“What?”<br/>
“You need to be a badass bitch and show Ghost that he doesn’t intimidate you.”<br/>
“But he does.”<br/>
“Oh. I know. But don’t let him see that. Don’t let Danny and Chuy see it either.”<br/>
“Okay. What do I do?”<br/>
“Take a deep breath, wipe your face, and walk back in there like your spine has been replaced with a steel rod. I’ll be right beside you.”</p><p>Eli walks through the gate ahead of us and I hear Ghost say:<br/>
“She didn’t want to come with you?”<br/>
“Oh, she came. She’s just pissed at me because I didn’t tell her where we were going.”</p><p>————————</p><p>As I’m talking to Eli, that damn teenage girl comes back through the gate and starts walking down the stairs. I look at her and shake my head before turning to face Chuy and saying:<br/>
“Chuyito, why does this girl keep coming back? She’s not welcome here.”<br/>
From behind me I hear:<br/>
“Oh. Well, if Claudia isn’t welcome here, we’ll just go. I’m sure we can find someone who would appreciate our company. Let’s go, Claudia.”<br/>
I breathe out:<br/>
“Shit.”<br/>
I turn around and say:<br/>
“Stay. Claudia’s welcome to stay.”<br/>
She and Claudia look at each other and Claudia shrugs. The blonde — V — says:<br/>
“Fine”</p><p>They walk down the stairs and I say:<br/>
“Will you tell me your name yet?”<br/>
“Nope.”<br/>
They walk across the space to the pool table and I hear her say:<br/>
“You play, Claudia?”<br/>
“Kind of?”<br/>
“Okay…I’ll try not to beat you too badly. Where are you planning on going to university?”<br/>
“Columbia. I have a scholarship.”<br/>
“That’s great. You’ll love it there. That’s where I went to law school. New York is amazing.”<br/>
“Where’d you go to school before Columbia?”<br/>
“Hearst, then Stanford.”<br/>
They’re too far away for me to easily hear now, and I can’t walk over there without being extremely obvious, so I turn to face Eli.<br/>
“Let’s check out the car.”<br/>
“Lead the way.”<br/>
We walk up to where the car is and we pop the hood. As he’s looking at the engine, his phone rings. I catch a look at the screen before he answers it and it says ‘Keith’.<br/>
“Hey, Sheriff.”<br/>
…<br/>
“You’ll always be the sheriff to me, Keith. What’s up?”<br/>
…<br/>
“I don’t know why she’s not answering her phone. You know your daughter has always been difficult.”<br/>
…<br/>
“She won’t talk about it, Keith. Every time Logan is brought up she shuts down and just wants to sleep for days. I had to physically drag her out of bed this morning.”<br/>
…<br/>
“You know she doesn’t want to see Jane.”<br/>
…<br/>
“Because V says that Logan told Jane too much. Jane knows everything…Every argument, every happy moment, every detail of every deployment…V doesn’t think she can handle talking to someone who knows so much. That’s why she won’t talk to Dick. Although, he’s in his own spiral, so he’s not exactly pushing.”<br/>
…<br/>
“No. She’s still not working.”<br/>
…<br/>
“I got her to take the goddamn bar exam, Keith. What more do you want from me?”<br/>
…<br/>
“No. Leo showing up won’t help her.”<br/>
…<br/>
“Because one of her exes showing up has never helped her.”<br/>
…<br/>
“She’ll be okay, Keith. She just needs time.”<br/>
…<br/>
“I know it’s been a year. She knows it’s been a year. Keith…The bomb was in her car. That guy was trying to kill her and he ended up killing Logan. I don’t think it’s grief so much anymore, but…guilt? She feels like it’s her fault that Logan is dead.”<br/>
…<br/>
“Yeah, well…I went through the same thing after Thumper murdered Felix. I felt like it was my fault. It was more guilt than grief.”<br/>
…<br/>
“I’ll tell her to call you, Keith.”<br/>
…<br/>
“Yeah, we can have dogs. Bring Pony. He should have been with her already.”<br/>
…<br/>
“Yeah. Okay. Bye.”<br/>
He hangs up and says:<br/>
“Sorry.”<br/>
“No problem.”</p><p>————————</p><p>Claudia and I are on our second game of pool when Ghost walks in and stands behind me, close, but not touching me. He leans in slightly and whispers in my ear:<br/>
“Come inside with me.”<br/>
“No.”<br/>
He leans closer and presses his lips against my ear:<br/>
“Claudia will be fine. Eli is here. Come inside with me, V.”<br/>
His voice sends shivers down my spine, so I say:<br/>
“Yeah, okay.”<br/>
He starts to walk away, towards the house, so I reach out and take his hand, interlacing our fingers as I follow him into the house. He walks into a bedroom and closes and locks the door behind us. </p><p>I pull him towards me and pull his shirt off before undoing his belt and pants. He pulls my shirt off and undoes my bra as he steps out of his pants. I undo my pants and push them off my body, stepping out of them as I run my hands over his body.<br/>
“Can I kiss you?”<br/>
“No. But…my name is Veronica.”<br/>
He grins and says:<br/>
“A name…finally…a name.”<br/>
“Fuck me, Ghost.”<br/>
He pushes me towards the bed and says:<br/>
“Get on your hands and knees.”</p><p>I do as he says and I hear a condom wrapper before he slams into me. I gasp:<br/>
“Ghost…more. Please.”<br/>
He thrusts into me, hard and fast, as I push back into him, matching him thrust for thrust. I moan when he tangles his hand in my hair and pulls as he cums. He pulls out of me and says:<br/>
“Lie on your back.”<br/>
I do as I’m told and he licks at my clit before sucking it into his mouth and flicking his tongue over it. I cum screaming his name and he pulls away from me before he says:<br/>
“Change your mind about the kissing?”<br/>
“Nope.”<br/>
“God, you’re infuriating.”<br/>
“I have been told this, yes.”</p><p>————————</p><p>We get redressed and go back outside. When we get out there, everyone is gone, but there’s a note from Claudia on the pool table:<br/>
‘Thank you, Veronica.’</p><p>We sit down on the couch in the undercover outdoor area and she says:<br/>
“So, Claudia says you were away for eight years. Prison?”<br/>
“Yeah.”<br/>
“For what?”<br/>
“Grand theft auto. Stealing parts for my ride.”<br/>
“You got eight years for that? That’s shit. I’m sorry.”<br/>
I put my hand on her cheek and tuck a bit of her hair behind her ear.<br/>
“I’m sorry about your husband.”<br/>
“The irony of how he died is not lost on me…He was in the Navy. Naval Intelligence to be exact. Took part in all kinds of dangerous missions all over the world, and ends up blown up in Neptune, California.”<br/>
“Wait…Your husband was Logan Echolls?!”<br/>
“Yup.”<br/>
“So you’re…rich?”<br/>
She laughs and says:<br/>
“No. He burned through his inheritance while I was away at Stanford and Columbia. Most of it went up his nose or into the pockets of hookers before he decided he needed a higher purpose and joined the Navy.”</p><p>Before I can say anything, the doorbell rings and then I hear rustling at the top of the stairs.<br/>
“Stay here.”<br/>
“No, Ghost.”<br/>
“Veronica, stay here.”</p><p>——————</p><p>I hear him talking to his Dad, so I move closer to the corner of the house so I can hear better. I can hear the pain in Ghost’s voice, even though I’m sure all his Dad hears is the anger. He talks about his Dad’s drinking, how he was responsible for making sure his little brother Danny saw their Mom every day while she was in the hospital dying, how people call him Ghost because his Dad didn’t say his name for eight years…Then he asks his Dad why he never came to see him and my heart breaks.</p><p>When he walks back around the corner, I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him down to me so I can kiss him. He moans against my mouth and deepens the kiss as he picks me up, wrapping my legs around his waist before he walks over to the couch and sits down with me in his lap. I keep kissing him, running my fingers through his hair and along his neck as I do, and when we finally pull apart, I say:<br/>
“Francisco…”<br/>
“What, Veronica?”<br/>
“Make love to me.”<br/>
His eyes get dark and he kisses me again before standing up and carrying me into the house. We go back to his room and he puts me down before we take our clothes off and he puts a condom on. He picks me back up, sliding into me as he does, before climbing onto the bed and laying me down, still lodged inside of me. We kiss the whole time we slowly move together, gently touching each other as we do. By the time we both orgasm, we both have tears on our faces.<br/>
“Why are you crying, Veronica?”<br/>
“You’re the first…since Logan, my husband, died. It was easy to not think about that when it was fast fucking, but with the slow, gentle…It just hit me.”<br/>
“Are you okay? Do you need time?”<br/>
“I’m okay, Francisco. Why are you crying?”<br/>
“That was the first time I’ve felt loved, except by Danny, since Mom died…And I know you don’t…It’s too soon…but the kissing and gentle touching combined with you calling me by my name…It just felt…good.”</p><p>I pull him down to me again, kissing him deeply before saying:<br/>
“You feel like trying again? Maybe we’ll reach the point where neither of us is crying.”<br/>
“You sure?”<br/>
“Francisco…yes. I’m sure.”</p><p>————————</p><p>We make love four more times before I have to tap out…This girl is freaking insatiable. I kiss her again before saying:<br/>
“Let’s go get some dinner.”<br/>
“Oh…Are you tapping out, Francisco?”<br/>
“Yes. I admit defeat. Six rounds is the most I can go without sustenance.”<br/>
“And how old are you?”<br/>
“I don’t see what that has to do with anything…Six rounds is impressive.”<br/>
“Answer the damn question.”<br/>
“28. How old are you?”<br/>
“34…I shouldn’t have asked.”<br/>
“Why? I think it’s hot that you’re older than me.”<br/>
“Crazy boy. Let’s go get dinner.”</p><p>We get up and get dressed before going outside. When we get out there, I see Danny over by the car, working on the mural. She looks at him and then at me and says:<br/>
“I’m going to go. Take some time with your brother.”<br/>
“But…”<br/>
“Francisco. You have been gone for eight years. Take some time…Bond. I’ll come back tomorrow.”</p><p>I pull her close to me and kiss her before I say:<br/>
“You’d better.”<br/>
“Goodnight, Francisco.”<br/>
“Goodnight, Veronica.”</p><p>As I watch her walk up the stairs she pulls her phone out and dials a number.<br/>
“Hey, Joe…I need an address.”</p><p>————————</p><p>Joe gives me the home address of Francisco’s father and I walk over — it’s not far and the city is beautiful at night — when I get there I knock on the door and wait for someone to answer it. A nice-looking woman in hospital scrubs opens the door and I say:<br/>
“Mrs. Alvarez?”<br/>
“Yes…Gloria. And you are?”<br/>
“Sorry. My name is Veronica. I’m dating Francisco. Mr. Alvarez wouldn’t happen to be home, would he?”<br/>
“He’s here. Come in, sweetheart.”</p><p>I walk inside and she closes the door behind me.<br/>
“He’s in the kitchen. Head on in.”<br/>
“Thanks.”<br/>
I walk into the kitchen and say:<br/>
“Mr. Alvarez?”<br/>
“Miguel. Call me Miguel. Who are you?”<br/>
“My name is Veronica. I’m dating Francisco. Do you have a minute?”<br/>
“Sure. I suppose.”<br/>
“He wasn’t angry earlier, sir.”<br/>
“He seemed angry.”<br/>
“He was hurt. He doesn’t understand why you didn’t come to see him. He says that he hasn’t felt loved since his Mom died…I think he’s still grieving that loss, and that combined with being in prison for eight years and not once seeing his Dad…it broke him, sir. He’ll deny this, but after you left earlier…he cried. I know you don’t want to think about it. I know your son going to prison was a point of shame for you…It shouldn’t be, but that’s how you think of it…But he needs to understand that you aren’t ashamed of him. He thinks that you don’t love him.”<br/>
“You’re sure about this?”<br/>
“Yes, sir.”<br/>
“He’s planning on competing against me at Elysian.”<br/>
“I know. Because he thinks you don’t love him. And if you don’t love him, maybe by beating you at Elysian he can at least earn your respect.”</p><p>He sighs and I say:<br/>
“Sir, I will convince Francisco and Danny to be less competitive at Elysian, to come to see Green Poison, to talk to you…Like their Dad, not an enemy…But I need you to do the same. Look at the car, admire the mural that Danny is painting. Talk to your sons. And tell Francisco why you never came to see him.”<br/>
“Yeah…Okay.”</p><p>————————</p><p>Two weeks after I met Veronica, she’s in the backseat of the car as we drive to Elysian Park. When we reveal Danny’s mural, she’s by my side, holding my hand. As we’re standing there, Dad walks over. He kisses Veronica’s cheek and says:<br/>
“Sons…this is a beautiful ride. You’ve done good.”<br/>
He hugs Danny and says:<br/>
“It’s a beautiful mural, Daniel. Your mother would be proud.”<br/>
Then he looks at me and says:<br/>
“Can we talk for a moment, Francisco?”<br/>
I nod and follow him as he walks away from the crowd. He tells me that he’s proud of me, that he loves me, and that he didn’t come to see me in prison because he was ashamed — not of me, but of himself, because he wasn’t there when I needed him.<br/>
“You kissed Veronica on the cheek. How do you know her?”<br/>
“She came to see me…Convinced me to stop being an asshole.”<br/>
“So you’re only here because my girlfriend interfered?”<br/>
“No. I’m here because I love you. She just helped me see that we both needed for me to say it out loud.”<br/>
“And how exactly did she do that?”<br/>
“She talked to me. Why do I get the feeling that you are angry with her?”<br/>
“Because I am. If that’s all, I have a show to win.”</p><p>I walk away, back towards Danny and Veronica. I say:<br/>
“Danny…Let’s go show old school what new school can do.”<br/>
I look at Veronica and growl:<br/>
“When I get back, you’d better be gone. You had no right to interfere. We’re done.”<br/>
I see her eyes soften for a moment like she’s about to cry, but then they get hard and emotionless and her spine straightens as she says:<br/>
“If that’s what you want. I’ll go. Good luck, Danny. Have a nice life, Ghost.”<br/>
She walks away and it feels like my heart is being ripped out of my chest. I swallow and turn back to Danny.<br/>
“Let’s go.”</p><p>—————————</p><p>I’m sitting at Joe’s house when he gets the call about Mr. Alvarez being shot, so I’m at the hospital with him and Gloria when Danny gets there. Gloria lets go of my hand to stand up and hug Danny. When Joe suggests that his partner take Gloria to get some coffee so he can talk to Danny, I tell Gloria I will stay with Danny as his legal representative. Joe says:<br/>
“This is the first client you’re going to take?”<br/>
“Danny didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just here to make sure you know it.”<br/>
“Okay.”</p><p>Joe talks to Danny about Ghost, and then Danny leaves the hospital. When Gloria gets back with her coffee, she says:<br/>
“Where did he go?”<br/>
“I think he went to see Ghost.”<br/>
“Should you go?”<br/>
“No. Ghost won’t hurt Danny.”<br/>
“Aren’t you worried about Danny hurting Ghost?”<br/>
“He doesn’t want me to interfere. He broke up with me for talking to his Dad.”<br/>
“He’s just hurt.”<br/>
“Don’t defend him, Gloria. Not right now. Not with his Dad in surgery.”<br/>
“Go home, sweetheart.”<br/>
“No. I’ll stay until Danny gets back. I don’t want you to be alone.”</p><p>————————</p><p>The next day, everything hits me. Breaking up with Veronica…getting my dad shot…the fight with Danny…I go to Veronica’s house first thing in the morning and Eli answers the door. He glares at me and says:<br/>
“She ain’t here.”<br/>
“Where is she?”<br/>
“The hospital. She never came home last night. Didn’t want Gloria to have to be alone.”<br/>
“Why does it matter to her?”<br/>
“A few years back we all had a really rough couple of nights. I got shot when I was trying to help someone, and while her Dad was meeting with a source regarding the corruption in the police department the next night, someone tried to kill him. They plowed a truck into the car he was in. They killed his source, a man Veronica had known her whole life, and almost killed Keith. He was in the hospital for a long time.”<br/>
“Jesus.”<br/>
“That wasn’t the first time he was in the hospital after almost being killed either. Veronica is very opposed to anyone having to be in the hospital alone.”<br/>
“How upset was she yesterday?”<br/>
“Do you want me to be honest with you?”<br/>
“Yeah.”<br/>
“She was inconsolable when she got home. I’ve only seen her that way a few times, and I’ve been friends with her for half our lives. She won’t admit this because she’ll say it’s too soon, but I’m pretty sure she’s in love with you. She just wanted to help heal your pain. She wasn’t trying to upset you.”<br/>
“I’m going to go to the hospital.”<br/>
“The cops are looking for you.”<br/>
“I know.”</p><p>————————</p><p>I’m sitting in the waiting room with Gloria when Francisco walks in. Gloria stands up and slaps him before saying:<br/>
“The cops are looking for you. You need to leave.”<br/>
“I know they’re looking for me. It’s okay, Gloria.”<br/>
He walks over to me and kneels on the floor in front of me, taking my hands in his.<br/>
“I’m so sorry, baby.”<br/>
“For what, Ghost? Breaking up with me? Hurting Danny? Destroying your Dad’s life’s work and getting him shot? Throwing away our chance to be together and happy because you’re going back to prison? What exactly are you apologizing for?”<br/>
“All of it. I never should have broken up with you. When you were walking away yesterday it felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. What happened last night never should have happened. I was angry…that he won, that I had pushed you away, that I was back to having no-one who loved me. He wasn’t supposed to be there.”<br/>
“Ugh. Enough. Danny told me what you said to him last night. Even if your Dad wasn’t supposed to be there, you aren’t exactly broken up about him getting hurt. Just go.”<br/>
“Veronica…I love you.”<br/>
“And I love you. I do. But…you need to go.”<br/>
I lean in and kiss him before saying:<br/>
“I love you, Francisco. Go. Now.”</p><p>I look across the room and see Leo standing at the entrance of the waiting room.<br/>
“Shit. Francisco, go. Now. That man over there is an FBI agent. If he realizes that the local cops are looking for you, he will arrest you. Go.”</p><p>I stand up and walk over to Leo saying:<br/>
“Leo…why is the FBI here?”<br/>
“I’m working another case in town. When I went by your house, Eli told me you were here.”<br/>
“Are you really working a case, or did Dad send you?”<br/>
“I may have spoken to Keith. He’s worried about you, Veronica.”<br/>
“So he sicced an ex-boyfriend on me? So not cool.”<br/>
“Hey, at least it’s me, and not Piz.”<br/>
“True…it could be worse. It could be Duncan…or Troy.”<br/>
“See? Look on the bright side…Is that Francisco over there?”<br/>
“Yeah.”<br/>
“His Dad refuses to press charges for the property damage or the assault. So they are wanting to take him in, but it’s just for a parole violation.”<br/>
“Are you sure?”<br/>
“Yup. I talked to Joe and the DA. They want to give him a slap on the wrist for the parole violation…6 months, max. Nothing for his part in last night’s stupidity.”<br/>
“Come with me.”</p><p>I walk over to Francisco and say:<br/>
“Give me a dollar.”<br/>
“Why?”<br/>
“To retain my services as your goddamn lawyer. Give me a dollar.”</p><p>He hands me a dollar and I pull out my phone, dialling the number for the DA.<br/>
“Hey, Aaron. It’s Veronica Mars. You got a second?”<br/>
“Of course. What’s up?”<br/>
“Francisco Alvarez. What are you looking at charging him with?”<br/>
“Parole violation. That’s it. We’re recommending 3 months if he turns himself in. 18 if he doesn’t. Should I assume this call means you are his attorney?”<br/>
“Yeah. I’ll talk to him and get back to you. Okay? I am going to need it in writing though Aaron…Not that I don’t trust you, but…”<br/>
“Yeah. I’ll email you a digital copy now.”<br/>
“Thank you.”<br/>
I hang up and look at Francisco.<br/>
“Parole violation, babe. That’s it. 3 months if you turn yourself in, 18 if you don’t. As your lawyer and your girlfriend, I’d strongly suggest turning yourself in.”<br/>
“Well then, I guess I’d better turn myself in.”<br/>
“You should go see your Dad while I call Aaron back.”</p><p>———————</p><p>After I go to see Dad, Veronica says:<br/>
“I told them we’d be there in three hours for you to turn yourself in.”<br/>
“Okay.”<br/>
I take her hand and lead her down the hallway to the bathroom I just passed. I pull her inside and lock the door behind us before pushing her against the door and kissing her while I undo her pants and she undoes mine. Her pants get taken all the way off, whereas mine just get shoved down. </p><p>I keep kissing her as I pick her up and slide into her, pressing her against the door as I slowly thrust into her. She runs her nails down my neck and over my shoulders while she gasps and whimpers against my mouth. When she cums, her pussy walls clench around me and milk my orgasm out of me. When I release inside of her I say:<br/>
“I love you.”<br/>
“I love you…We should go so you can turn yourself in.”<br/>
“Not yet. I want you again.”<br/>
“You gonna put a condom on this time?”<br/>
“No. I’m already inside of you.”</p><p>She moans as I start thrusting into her again. I reach down and start rubbing and pinching her clit while she writhes between me and the door and kisses me. She whimpers my name as she orgasms and I follow her over the edge, filling her with my cum. She kisses me again and then says:<br/>
“We really have to go, babe.”<br/>
“Yeah…Okay.”<br/>
“It’s only 3 months, Francisco.”<br/>
“What are you going to do while I’m inside?”<br/>
“For the next few weeks? I’m gonna help your brother build a car. After that…I have lots of experience being a receptionist. I’ll help out at the shop. They’ll need all the help they can get once they kick ass at Big Chele. I’m not going anywhere, Francisco. And I think…when you get out…you should give them my address as your forwarding.”<br/>
“You want me to move in with you?”<br/>
She shrugs, and I say:<br/>
“Yes. Please.”</p><p>We get dressed and leave the hospital. </p><p>—————————</p><p>For the past three weeks, Danny, Eli, Angel, Chuy, and I have been working insane hours to get the car for Big Chele done. The day Miguel gets out of the hospital, Danny brings him to the garage to show him the car. I’m sitting at the desk in the corner when they walk in.</p><p>Miguel loves the car as is, but now Danny needs to paint the mural. I hang out in the garage as he does. I love watching him work. The only thing I can compare it to is how it used to feel to watch Logan surf. Danny is so in tune with his art…with the paint and the sprayer…it seems less like work and more like…magic.</p><p>When we go to Big Chele, Danny gets multiple offers for the car…Marisol. He turns them all down. </p><p>Following Big Chele, the shop is so busy Miguel is forced to hire me, Eli, and Chuy all on full-time just to keep up. We close the shop every Monday morning though so Miguel, Danny, and I can go see Francisco. </p><p>When he’s been inside for two months I miss visiting him for the first time because I’ve been really sick, so I have a doctor’s appointment. When Miguel and Danny get to the shop after their visit, I am sitting at the desk with a list of restrictions in front of me. I hand it to Miguel and say:<br/>
“Right now only the top section is restricted. As time goes on though, the middle and then the bottom section will also be restricted.”</p><p>He looks at the list, then at me before breaking into a large grin and coming around the desk and pulling me out of the chair so he can hug me. Danny looks at us in confusion and says:<br/>
“What?”<br/>
I smile at him and say:<br/>
“You’re going to be an uncle.”<br/>
“Seriously?!”<br/>
“Yup. I should go tell him.”<br/>
Miguel says:<br/>
“Yeah. Go, darling.”</p><p>———————</p><p>I can’t describe the feeling when Pops and Danny came to see me this morning without Veronica. It was like someone was crushing my heart until Pops said:<br/>
“She’s at the doctor. She hasn’t been feeling well. She’s going to come to see you this afternoon.”</p><p>When I walked back into the visiting room that afternoon, she was sitting there waiting for me and it felt like I could breathe again. When I sit down, she grins and says:<br/>
“I have some news.”<br/>
“What?”<br/>
“In about…7 months, you are going to be a Daddy.”<br/>
“Really? You’re pregnant?”<br/>
“Really. I’m pregnant. But you know what this means, right?”<br/>
“I have to marry you?”<br/>
“Not where I was going with that…I don’t want to get married again. Never wanted to get married in the first place.”<br/>
“Okay…Where were you going with it?”<br/>
“You have to keep your ass out of prison.”<br/>
“I think I can handle that.”<br/>
“Yeah? I’m not sure I believe you.”<br/>
“No more grand theft auto…I promise.”</p><p>—————————</p><p>On the day Francisco is set to be released, I’m at the prison by myself waiting for him. </p><p>When he walks out, I launch myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck as he catches me and holds me against himself, kissing me. When we pull apart he says:<br/>
“Everyone else at the shop?”<br/>
“Yes. I told them we’d come over for dinner. I wouldn’t let them come with me to pick you up.”<br/>
“Oh? And why is that?”<br/>
“I wanted to be alone with you.”<br/>
“Let’s go home then.”</p><p>—————————</p><p>Six months after I was released from prison, Marisol Lynn Alvarez is born. She has my dark hair and skin tone and Veronica’s clear blue eyes. </p><p>—————————</p><p>When Marisol is two, her brother Felix Logan Alvarez is born. He has lighter skin than his sister, his daddy’s brown eyes, and my blonde hair. </p><p>—————————</p><p>By the time the kids are six and four, they are in the shop constantly. Handing people tools and getting underfoot. Marisol is already showing a considerable talent for art, so Danny starts teaching her how to use the airbrush.</p><p>—————————</p><p>At 12, Marisol completes a mural on a lowrider for the first time…with Uncle Danny’s help, of course.</p><p>—————————<br/>
When Marisol is 14 and Felix is 12, they are allowed to start working on their own ride. It’s a slow process because we make them earn all the money to pay for their parts.</p><p>—————————</p><p>When Marisol is 16, she enters the car she and Felix made at Elysian Park. She’s competing against the best in the city, including her Dad and Grandfather. She comes in third.</p><p>—————————</p><p>By the time Felix leaves for university, Marisol has been working at the shop full time for 2 years, and Miguel has retired. That year, the car she built with Francisco and Danny wins best in show at Elysian Park.</p>
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